The present invention relates to an arrangement which makes it possible, at an operating site, to assemble individually designed dental products, for example distancing pieces, bridges, etc. Each dental product can in this case be made up from two or more structural elements. Each operating site is arranged with computer equipment with which it is possible to reproduce a simulated model of the jaw, dentine, implant, etc., and structural elements applied to the model. By means of interaction with the user, it is possible to adapt the constructional design of the respective assembled product to the dental situation in question. The operating site can be connected to one or more central units via a telecommunications and/or computer network, via which the central unit receives data from the operating site.
The arrangement can also be set up to permit manufacture of dental products, or instruments for the. latter, at a number of geographically distinct manufacturing sites, where the manufacturing procedure can be effected in a number of manufacturing stages.
The arrangement can also be set up so that, at one or more manufacturing sites, it is possible to control a manufacturing procedure for a dental product, or instrument for the latter, where the procedure comprises one or more subsidiary stages.
The arrangement can also be set up to assemble qualified constellations at a dental user site, for example with regard to dental situations, dental information, dental test products, etc. The user site has access to its own results or one or more presentation banks which can be subject to factual information relating to, for example, verifications, adjustments, complementary additions, etc. The user site can in this case be connected to one or more central units via a telecommunications and/or computer network, via which the user site and the central unit 5 are capable of exchanging information/data.
The invention is also applicable to a system for supplying dental products and preferably dental information relating to the products and dental situations and, if appropriate, also for making instruments for production of the product. A number of users using the system and constituting user sites can be connected to one or more central units, included in the system, via a telecommunications and/or computer network. The respective user site can in this case be provided with computer equipment by means of which query profiles can be collated.
It is already known to use mechanical, computer-aided methods for production of dental products such as caps, bridges, etc. Plaster models and the jaw, tooth remains, etc. of the patient can be scanned with the aid of various methods by the dental technician/dentist. The scanned information can be compressed and fed to the computer equipment, in which the model or equivalent can be simulated and, in the computer environment, can undergo constructional and add-on functions in order to obtain an optimum tooth replacement or equivalent for the patient in question. The result obtained can constitute the basis for ordering the actual dental product from a centralized manufacturing site. An order can be sent in a known manner to the manufacturing site or production site in question, which manufactures the desired dental product and sends this back to the orderer, who can then continue his work preparing and fitting the dental product on the patient.
In this connection, it is known to prepare not only tooth caps in this way, but also pontics, titanium crowns and bridge parts.
The users or the customers on the system thus provide for the system a work station which includes a standard PC with modem (or ISDN connection). The work station can be fitted out in various ways. Thus, for example, it can be equipped with a scanner device of the Procera type with associated user program.
The manufacturing process entails, overall, a very complex technique which it is not possible for each user/customer to perform. There is, however, a need for each user or customer to be able, to a greater extent than has hitherto been possible, to be able to gain access in a technically simple manner to all or parts of the complete process structure or process technique in order to obtain support, at the user site or customer site, for his own constructional and testing work on the respective patient. It is essential in this respect that use of the system is possible in a technically simple manner which has been well proven in the sector. The main object of the invention is to solve these problems.
There is also a need for the user to be able to subscribe to certain functions (structures) in the dental complex manufacturing process, which is being constantly updated and refined. Thus, for example, constant developments are being made on the software side, with the systems user (dentistldental technician) wishing to make use of these developments in their daily application, without too much work on updating requirements. The dentist/dental technician may require new reading and data compression systems and new hardware for these. By means of the invention, it is possible, in a simple manner, to have updating provided and installed in the customer equipment in a more or less automatic way.
Different users may be specialists in different dental products and dental situations, cf. titanium and ceramic crowns and bridges, and they may wish to consult the complex system only within their specialist area. The invention solves this problem too.
Users who need to use the complex system only now and then can also obtain help in a simple manner in the form of basic information. Thus, for example, it may be useful for a user/customer to find out about existing and well-proven constructions in specific dental situations. His/her work is made easier with a main-type solution to the specific dental situation. This is achieved, inter alia, by means of the fact that the system can give statistics and examples of use in different situations on which the user/customer/patient can base his solution.
Colleges and other educational institutions can also use the system as an information source for different dental situations and dental presentations.
It is also expedient, when using distancing pieces on or for implants, for these to be designed individually. The individual preparation can be based on information from the system, and the ordering and manufacture of the individually designed distancing pieces can be done with the aid of the system.
For the system provider, it is important to have a secure and reliable debiting system which executes debits for function uses and function means from the system and dental products or parts thereof manufactured in the system and instruments for the said products or parts. The invention solves this problem too.
There is a need to be able to expand the available equipment at the respective user site or customer site, and it is therefore desirable, for example, to be able to introduce and use a free-standing CADD program. As new software and hardware is developed, this too will be able to be connected to the work station, which in this way will be able to use the system to an even greater extent. There is therefore a need to be able to create a general IT-based dental platform (IT= information technology). In this way the customer can work with a Procerar station and send his work to a production unit via a network. The production unit then manufactures the component concerned and sends this to the customer. It will be possible to deal with all the administration in the given network. The invention solves this problem too.
The system will be able to be set up for a large number of work stations (customers). Thus, for example, the system will be able to be set up for several hundred work stations which will be able to be connected in stages without disrupting the rate of production of dental products and the delivery of information. Software used in the system will be able to be updated with minimal disruption to the production of dental products and delivery of information. This places special requirements on the coordination within the system. It additionally places requirements on the program constructions and how the programs are installed in the system. The invention is intended to solve these problems too.
There is therefore a requirement to be able to use routines for product modifications, which modification routines will be able to be used both for software and hardware. It is therefore expedient to be able to create a platform for comprehensive dental rehabilitation systems while at the same time being able to maintain the rate of development within the system. It is expedient in this case to be able to create a number of rules which mean that the routines in connection with the system are actually used. The invention also solves this set of problems.
The feature which can principally be regarded as characterizing an arrangement used at an operating site to assemble individually designed dental products is that the operating site is arranged to collate data in a query profile relating to part of the assembly. The operating site is provided with members for transmitting query profile data via the network to the central unit. The latter is arranged, as a function of the received query profile data, to supply information relating to the part in question. This information can be sent to the operating site and/or can be set onwards to a production unit connected to the central unit, or included in the central unit, for production of the part. A further feature is that a debiting system is arranged to indicate to the central unit or to the production site that the information or production, respectively, has been paid for.
The query profile data can relate to queries on first information concerning the dental situation, which can relate to optimum design and fitting of the part concerned in the dental product in question. In one illustrative embodiment, the dental product can consist of a distancing arrangement on an implant. The distancing arrangement comprises an angled distancing part or other part which has on or more individual parameters, e.g. shape, position of rotation about the longitudinal axis of the implant, etc. The angled distancing part or the said other part is dependent on the individuality of the dental situation. In a further embodiment, the query profile data and the first information afford the possibility of interaction between the operating site""s computer equipment, its user, and the central. unit for production of one or more structures adapted to the respective dental situation. In a preferred embodiment, a number of operating sites or customer sites are connected to the central unit and its production unit or production units. The operating sites are in this case categorized and each category subscribes to a relevant service which effects first information andlor product parts from the total range or offered range of the central unit and/or the production unit or production units. The first information can in this case relate to one or more computer program information items or computer programs for carrying out the said assembly. The query profile data of the respective operating site and the information sent from the central unit/respective production unit can preferably relate to user data and setting data for the scanner unit, measuring table, etc.
An arrangement used at a dental user site to assemble qualified constellations can principally be regarded as being characterized by the fact that the user site/customer site is arranged to collate data in a query profile relating to all or part of the constellation. The user site is in this case provided with members for transmitting query profile data via the network to the central unit. The central unit is arranged, as a function of the query profile data received, to supply factual information relating to the constellation or the constellations, which information can be sent back to the user site for acting on the said results or presentation bank/presentation banks. A further characteristic is that a debiting system is arranged to indicate to the central unit that the factual information sent out has been paid for.
In one embodiment, the factual information sent out consists of second information on manufacturing process(es) and/or statistics relating, for example, to the construction of different main types of dental products. In one embodiment, the central unit can also function is, or be connected to, one or more production units for production of dental products. The central unit and/or the respective production unit is arranged to utilize and store characteristic data on the dental products, data on the respective dental situation in which the respective dental product is being used, etc.
In a preferred embodiment, characteristic data thus utilized and stored and dental situations can be interrogated by means of the said query profiles from one or more user sites connected to the central unit 5 and/or the respective production unit.
The respective query profile data and returned information concern characteristics or construction information on different types of dental crown configurations which have been the object of production in association with manufacture/production controlled or managed by the central unit. The said types form main types which can each be supplemented by one or more variants.
An arrangement to permit manufacture of dental products, or instruments for the latter, at a number of geographically distinct manufacturing sites where the manufacturing procedure is effected in a number of manufacturing stages, is principally characterized in that a central unit supplies moduled information items and means for carrying out the stages, in which the different modules can be assigned to the different manufacturing stages or parts thereof. The different manufacturing stages are capable of interrogating and/or are assigned in advance one or more of the said moduled information items and means in order to be able to carry out all or part of the manufacturing process by means of the called-up information items and means. Transmission members are arranged, as a function of the requested order for called-up information and means, to effect transmission of these on a computer and/or communications medium which connects the respective manufacturing site to the central unit. In this case too, a debiting system is arranged to credit the central unit with payment for used time, information and/or means.
In a preferred embodiment, the customers are categorized in such a way that a first category of customer can be assigned first information and means, a second category of customer can be assigned second information and means, etc. The said information and means can comprise control information for operating equipment for one or more of thesaid manufacturing stages at the manufacturing site.
An arrangement used at one or more manufacturing sites to control a manufacturing procedure for a dental product, or instrument for this, where the manufacturing procedure comprises one or more subsidiary stages, can principally be regarded as being characterized by the fact that the control information for equipment effecting one or more manufacturing procedures or subsidiary stages thereof can be extracted by a selection procedure from an information and/or data bank located in a unit geographically separated from the respective manufacturing site. Extraction is in this case carried out by means of the selection made at the respective manufacturing site, and the selection made can be transferred via a computer and/or telecommunications medium to effect selection in the information and/or data bank at the central unit. As a function of the selection, the central unit transmits the selected information and/or means. At the manufacturing site, the selected information received is arranged to be included in or be converted to control information for the equipment in question. Here, once again, use is made of debiting equipment which credits the central unit with payment for used time, information and/or means.
A system in accordance with the above can be regarded as being characterized by the fact that the said central unit(s) comprise(s) one or more coordinating units which, via afirst telecommunicationsand/or computer network or a second local telecommunications and/or computer network, is/are connected to one or more production units. The respective coordinating unit is in this case arranged to effect or participate in the assignment of the information flows coming from the user sites/customer sites via the first telecommunications and/or computer network (query profile data). The respective production unit functions as order receiver for the respective dental product which the respective user site wishes to have produced.
In a preferred embodiment, the respective user site is equipped with functions for readingoff the model or jaw, dentine,etc., of the patient. The reading result can be fed to the user site""s computer equipment, and a query profile (systems user profile) effected by this means includes one or more tasks. The respective coordinating unit preferably functions as a connection station to a network (telecommunications and/or computer network) belonging to the system. Two or more coordinating units distribute the incoming query profile flow (systems user flow) and the flow of information coming from the coordinating units, which information, for example, will be controlled for access to different databases. The system capacity can be expanded by means of connection of further coordinating units and/or inclusion of more powerful computers in existing coordinating units and/or connection of several ISDN modems.
Further characteristics of the system will be evident from the subsequent system subclaims.
The features proposed above provide a system and a user relationship characterized by economic application of the system from the viewpoint of the user sites /customers. Use is based on technology which is known per se, and which further affords simplified use procedures for the users, while maintaining economic advantages. The users, i.e. dentists/dental technicians, can make use of the advantages obtained through high manufacturing operations, involving substantial economic and technical outlay. By means of the fact that subsidiary functions, statistics, etc., are offered for sale in the large system, the developments in this system can benefit the users against payment for only the desired use. Very considerable experience of manufactured products, product designs, etc., can be built into and stored in the system. The stored information can be used as basic information for the users and for statistical application in association with colleges and other institutions. In addition to offering accurate and exact products, the system provider can receive payment for continued development and research. The very substantial development of the databases in the coordinating units means that it is possible to follow everything that is going on in the system. Production can be constantly modified and administrative functions can be applied in the databases in order to facilitate the development work. Despite the information content being transferred in the proposed manner. to the user sites/customers, the required accuracy of the products can be maintained. The required accuracy nowadays is about 2/100ths tolerance.